1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to computer networks and, more particularly, to computer network communication systems that send and receive messages.
2. Description of the Related Art
Electronic mail or "e-mail", as it is widely known, refers to messages that are sent from one computer user to another over networks of interconnected computers. Computer systems that support e-mail facilitate such message transfer by providing a means for composing messages, transferring them from the message originator to the intended recipient, reporting back to the originator upon message receipt, and placing messages in the proper format for transmission over the networks. Communicating via e-mail is gaining in popularity relative to more traditional communication methods such as telephone, postal service delivery of hard copy, overnight or expedited courier delivery of hard copy, or electronic facsimile transmission. Communication by e-mail has advantages of immediacy, simultaneous delivery to multiple recipients, convenient storage and retrieval, and relatively low cost, but keeping up with e-mail from potentially many different sources can be problematic.
Interconnected computer networks for exchange of e-mail are both public and private, or proprietary. A large, world-wide collection of interconnected computer networks that is publicly accessible is commonly referred to as the "Internet" and generally comprises a group of computers that communicate with each other according to an "Internet Packet" (IP) communication protocol also referred to as TCP/IP. The Internet incorporates literally thousands of smaller computer networks. In North America, the Internet includes a "backbone" of supercomputer centers that are directly connected to each other by extremely high speed fiber optic cables. Each supercomputer center includes large mainframe computers of very high sophistication and operating capability that can send and receive a large number of e-mail messages. Regional Internet service providers are geographically distributed across the continent and are connected by high speed communication lines to the nearest supercomputer center. Users are connected to one of the regional Internet service providers to gain access to the Internet and its message handling and information exchange features.
Private e-mail systems include corporate networks in which the staff of corporations can exchange messages, such as the well-known International Business Machines Corporation (IBM Corporation) "OfficeVision" and "PROFS" systems and the "CC: Mail" system used by many companies, and also the e-mail services of various on-line service providers. The on-line services presently include providers such as America On-Line (AOL), CompuServe, SprintMail, MCI Net, Microsoft Network, and the like. Subscribers to on-line services pay a subscription fee for on-line services and typically also can access the Internet through the on-line service provider, so that subscribers can send and receive messages over the Internet from non-subscribers.
Internet e-mail messages are sent and received with reference to an electronic e-mail domain address that identifies routing information to the Internet infrastructure. Thus, a user will have a different e-mail address for each regional service provider with which the user is associated. For example, it is not unusual for a person to have different e-mail addresses for a corporate e-mail mailbox, a mailbox through an Internet service provider, and mailboxes with several on-line service providers. The person can potentially send and receive messages through each one of these e-mail mailboxes. Checking each of these mailboxes for messages can be inconvenient and time consuming, making it relatively easy to experience considerable delay in receiving a message or a response to a message, or even missing a message completely. Moreover, establishing communication with each Internet provider or on-line service requires a different procedure and data entry.
In addition, checking each of various e-mail mailboxes can be difficult when away from one's primary computer terminal. For example, many persons perform their primary e-mail sending and receiving from a computer at an office location. If a person has no portable computer with a modem, it can be impossible to check for e-mail when away from that office. Alternatively, it will be necessary to gain temporary use of a computer at another location to check for e-mail. This also can be difficult.
Finally, some potential users of e-mail services may be without computer equipment to gain access to the Internet or might prefer to gain access through a computer other than their primary terminal. Such users might be inclined to use computer equipment from a third-party provider, but that is impractical unless the third-party can be assured of having convenient, reliable payment from the user.
From the discussion above, it should be apparent that there is a need for a computer network communication system that permits more convenient checking of e-mail and more convenient communication with multiple e-mail service providers, thereby reducing the difficulty of keeping up with multiple e-mail mailbox locations and assisting third-party providing of e-mail services. The present invention satisfies this need.